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An Indian shooting coach has criticised Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games arrangements, citing long travel times for athletes.
The coach said they have little choice but to adapt. (PTI Photo)
A senior coach with India’s 30-member shooting contingent at the Asian Games 2026 has raised concerns over the arrangements for the shooters, with the lengthy commute between their accommodation and the shooting range emerging as a major issue.
The Indian shooters are staying at hotels located around 50km from the range, with the contingent divided among three or four hotels. The distance has forced several athletes to begin their days early and spend significant time travelling to and from the competition venue.
Among those affected are some of India’s biggest medal prospects, including double Olympic bronze medallist Manu Bhaker and multiple Asian Games medallist Esha Singh.
“This (transportation) is a real problem. But what can we do about it? I didn’t see any hotels in the vicinity of the shooting range. If there were, we would have reached early. They gave us accommodation at a place which was far, so now what can we do about it?” the coach, who has been to multiple Asian and Commonwealth Games as a player, said on condition of anonymity.
The issue has already been communicated to the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), although the coach said he had not spoken to its officials personally in the last few days.
“I presume the federation (NRAI) would have told them (Asian Games organisers). I haven’t spoken to the federation about it, but we had informed the federation about this issue, and this discussion had been going on,” he said.
Long commutes have become part of shooting
The coach acknowledged that shooting venues are often situated away from populated areas, meaning long journeys are not necessarily uncommon at major international competitions.
“Having said that, I would also like to highlight that the ranges are very far away from main habitation. In China (2022 Hangzhou Asian Games) also, it used to take one hour to reach the range. So it has now become a part of shooting,” he said.
However, he felt the arrangements in Japan had fallen short of expectations.
“But having said all that, Japan being Japan, I am a bit disappointed with the arrangements. It could have been better.”
The transportation problems were particularly evident on Thursday, when buses carrying the shooters to the range did not run according to schedule.
The shooters are staying at three or four hotels that are relatively close to one another. However, they have to gather at one hotel for breakfast before boarding buses for the range. A bus scheduled for 8:40am reportedly left after 9am, while another that was supposed to depart at 9:40am did not leave until around 10:30am.
“Today there was a lot of issue with the buses because the buses that had to come did not arrive, perhaps because of a shortage of buses or something. The bus schedule to depart at 8:40 left after 9am and the one scheduled for 9:40 left at 10:30am,” he said.
The delays did not affect the actual training sessions, according to the coach, although the team had to alter its schedule.
“Training as such wasn’t hampered, but we had to shift our time. From an organisation point of view, it was disappointing, but maybe tomorrow could be a different story,” he said.
Shooters forced to adjust daily routine
The demanding commute has also affected the daily routine of the shooters. The journey to the range can take close to two hours each way, meaning some athletes have had to wake up as early as 5am and finish breakfast before 6:30am before setting off for the venue.
The coach said there had been some complaints within the team, but adapting to the situation was ultimately unavoidable.
“They (organisers) could be trying their best, but the image we have of Japan has been blemished somewhat. It could have been better,” he said.
“At the same time, we have to come to terms with what we have. Either we can crib or take it in our stride and say, Let’s focus on what we can do because we cannot do anything about transportation.’”
The coach also discussed India’s accommodation arrangements against the backdrop of the wider Asian Games setup, in which several thousand athletes are being housed aboard the cruise ship Costa Serena.
For shooters preparing for competition under strict routines, he said he would rather stay in a hotel than on a ship.
“I would not prefer a cruise. I would prefer a bed on land,” he said, adding that athletes who are not accustomed to being on a ship could potentially encounter problems such as seasickness.
With PTI Inputs
Quick Answers
Ask News18Indian shooters are facing long commutes because their accommodation is located in three or four hotels around 50km away from the shooting range. This distance requires a journey of close to two hours each way, forcing athletes to wake up as early as 5:00 AM to travel to the venue.
Ask News18About the Author
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience …Read More
September 17, 2026, 3:53 PM IST
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